Winter 2010-2011 Summary

Winter Summary for 2010-2011

The winter of 2010-2011 was for the most part cooler than normal as seen in the chart below (from the Midwest Climate Center). The winter of 2010-2011 was the first winter since 2008-2009 to have three or more days in a row with highs below 20 degrees (January 21-23) and to have lows across Southwest Lower Michigan falling below zero (on the 23rd of January). From January 19th through February 11th, the high temperature stayed at or below freezing across southwest Lower Michigan; the 24 days in a row was the longest string of days in a row that cold since a similar event during January of 1979. That event ended on the 25th of January and was 25 days in length. As for the individual months' temperature anomalies, December's was near normal, January was colder than normal while February was near normal.

The temperature depature from normal for the winter season of 2010-2011.

Snowfall was well above normal across all of Southwest Lower Michigan with the lake shore from Muskegon to South Haven being as much as two feet above normal. However, even inland locations had above normal snowfall. Lansing was over a foot above normal (see climate data below) in snowfall, Grand Rapids was a foot and a half above normal and Muskegon was nearly two feet above normal in the winter snowfall. Few of us will forget the blizzard of February 1st into the 2nd, that resulted one to two feet of snow and had wind gusts over 50 mph causing roads to be closed, flights to be canceled or delayed, schools to be closed and even some stores. That was one of the bigger snow storms since the blizzard of 1978.

The snowfall depature from normal for the winter season of 2010-2011.

Total snowfall for the winter season of 2010-2011.

Precipitation was near normal across the area. Most of the precipitation this winter fell in the form of snow. The only significant rain event was from December 31st into January 1st, when temperatures rose into the 50s and between a half inch and an inch of rain fell, melting most of the snow on the ground at the time.

The precipitation depature from normal for the winter season of 2010-2011.

Below are the climate summaries for Grand Rapids, Lansing and Muskegon